Stains have stood out to me in the last couple days. Stains in the carpet. Stains on the tablecloths. Stains on clothes. Stains on tables and countertops. Thankfully, for the tablecloths and clothes “Shout” works wonders and only one tough stain remains. And a hot rag with bleach cleans the tables and countertops getting them mostly clean. In previous carpet cleanings, I have gone through half a dozen bottles of Resolve before gallons of carpet cleaner. This time I decided to call a professional. Once I used an excessive amount of carpet cleaner as I was determined to get the 30-year-old sanctuary carpet really clean and ended up with a room full of bubbles. I laughed myself silly and was thankful no one came in to see bubbles, bubbles everywhere, bubbles floating in my hair. We’ve replaced that carpet since then with more efficient carpet squares.
How do you clean your soul? The car wash for the soul doesn’t need a punch card, buy 5 get 1 free. It doesn’t need to wait in a 3 car wash slow moving line up. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” According to the Bible, our soul that was once stained can be cleansed completely, and not with a more efficient cleaner. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Yet, there is a difference between imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness. As an example, let’s say the sins of my life are visible on my garment. Imputed righteousness is where the Lord would take my stained garment and throw it in the washing machine but still comes out with residue of the old stain. That’s not the kind of righteousness I believe in. We believe in imparted righteousness where the Lord takes away the stained garment and gives me a brand new perfectly white clean garment, making me clean inside and out. This is the work of God in my life to do something I couldn’t do.
Some of us don’t think we deserve this kind of soul cleansing. Our stains run too deep, our past is too tainted. Yet the God who created this universe wants a deep relationship with you. And the only way to have this relationship is to receive the cleaning, forgiveness, love and power of God into our lives that removes every intentional sinful thought or action I have done. God gives me a new life, the Bible calls it being born again or being a new creation.
No, you don’t need half a dozen bottles of Resolve, just a humble heart to say, “God, you see as I am. Forgive me. Purify my heart.” I had a former Catholic share that once he had confessed all of his sins to the priest, he never felt to squeaky clean in all his life. We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, we can confess to right now. No need to wait in line. God can hear you right where you are.